Each Other
by breeze3
Summary: Chapter 6 now up... The room was dark. It seemed so natural now, to be in the dark, hiding from them, the world, and, somehow, each other. They had become comfortable around one another. They kissed each other, but still, some things felt sacred, hidde
1. Chapter One

**Each Other  
By: Breeze  
**  
She slowly opened her lazy eyes. She was immediately bathed by the color white. White sheets, white walls, and bright yellowy sunshine. The warm tuscany color engulfed the room. She could feel the breeze flowing through the room, giving her the feeling of being on a cloud. A warm summer breeze that could only be found on the Mediterranean. The smell of salt from the blue sea enveloped her every sense. She had no clue what town she was in and she didn't care. The only thing she cared about was the blond boy lying next to her, fast asleep in his own dream land.  
She turned on her side and faced the man she had hated as a boy. The man that now loved the women she had become but had shared that hatred once. Shared it and surpassed it in ways that shocked her when she finally learned its full extent. How much they had changed. They were older. Almost twenty. He was tall now, with a body that all women drooled over and most men wanted. His hair was shorter, softer with no signs of the greasy mess it had once been in their youth. His hands had grown made to fit hers.  
She was different too, of course. Her hair was still curly. Her body still slender, but other parts had grown with age. Her limbs were leaner and more adult. But she was still small. Still tiny. She remembered how he had made fun of her once.

_"Granger, I could throw you around the world you're so little." She smiled smartly before punching him in the arm. "But you know what?"  
"What, Malfoy?" He quickly leaned forward and lightly kissed her. He pulled back and ran his thumb across her bottom lip.  
"Your smile is brighter than the sun." Before she could roll her eyes and give him a hard time for being a sap, he grabbed her again and kissed her harder. _

_Thinking back on the memory, she could have punched him again. He always kissed her to distract her. It always worked. How they had come so far? She would never know. Somewhere between knowing and loathing it had happened. But still, in her heart she knew there was no fighting it. When she kissed him, she knew there was nothing more right.  
He lightly snorted and mumbled something unrecognizable before turning onto his stomach, crossing his arms underneath the white pillow. She smiled slightly before running her fingers along the side of his face. She then reached forward and lightly touched the scar on his bare back. He had many but this was the most obvious. It was high on the right side of his back, almost reaching his shoulder blade. She had been there when he received it. Still, he was covered with several scars that mimicked the one she had healed with magic. Ones his father had so "lovingly" given him as a child. She could never understand how he could give her so much love after growing up the way he did. He told her he saved all his love for her. She believed him.  
She pulled her hand away and twisted onto her back. She exhaled deeply as she stretched out like a cat. Placing her arms over her head, she began to turn her body to get out of bed. Suddenly, a strong arm reached across her bare stomach and pulled her close, sliding her easily across the bed towards himself.  
"Where do you think you going?" he growled deeply before pushing her body up and kissing her stomach. His grip tightened around her waist. God, he was strong.  
"To take a shower. Do we have a problem, Malfoy?" He lifted his head and placed his chin on her stomach.  
"Actually, Granger, we do." He loosened his grip and his hand lightly tugged at the bottom of her small white tank top. "I planned that we stay in bed all day." She lightly laughed before running her fingers through his fluffy spiked hair.  
"Well, Malfoy, I'm sorry, but we do have to get out of this bed eventually." He buried his face into her stomach like a small child.  
"No!" He kissed her again.  
"Yes!" She grabbed his hair carelessly and pulled his head up so he faced her. His gray eyes met hers and she smiled at his childish behavior. "Draco Malfoy, let go," she said playfully. He did, for a moment at least. In one swift movement, he was on top of her. His hands pinned hers above her head and he smiled brightly.  
"I bet I can change your mind on this whole getting out of bed nonsense." She raised an eyebrow as he pulled her hands around his neck. He placed his hands underneath her shoulders almost hugging her. His bare chest pressed down against her own.  
"Oh, I'm scared." Her sarcasm was obvious. His smirk was full of cockiness before he bent down to kiss her lips. She quickly turned her head, though, and smiled as his lips smacked her neck. She smiled and laughed in triumph before feeling his hot breath run down the side of her neck. Her spot, the smart-ass. He lightly nibbled on the bottom of an earlobe. She sucked in a breath as his grip on her tightened.  
"Stay with me forever," he whispered huskily. She then turned her head to face him. She didn't even need to think.  
"And ever," she said readily. He smiled casually. He bent down and slightly rubbed his nose against hers. She smiled and bit her bottom lip. Sure, she was young. Sure, they were once enemies, but she knew this was her happily ever after. They were meant for one another. She had taught him to smile and how to trust. He had taught her to look past the cover of a book and truly be herself.  
He pulled away, much to her disappointment, and looked more serious then ever. He suddenly seemed nervous. If that was even possible. He pulled his arm from underneath her and reached into his pajama bottoms to seize something. She looked bewilderedly at him for a second until she spotted the ring. A smile spread across his face and he kissed her nose.  
"Marry me?" She felt tears coming to her eyes. She knew this day would come. She knew they would get married and have children. She knew he would love her endlessly and forever. She suddenly laughed at him and smiled.  
"Of course I will, stupid. Good God, Malfoy, you're always asking the dumbest questi..." She was cut off by his lips. But the kiss was different. She couldn't describe how, but it was very different. He pulled back and smirked. "Oh God, what is that look for?"  
"I knew I could change your mind about the getting out of bed nonsense." She was about to protest but he grabbed her lips with his own again. And that's how they stayed. That's all they needed. He needed her and she needed him. They just needed each other._

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Hermione Granger looked at the boy smirking at her from across the table. Well, she honestly couldn't call him a boy any longer. He was no doubt a man. Both were now nineteen years old. She had known him for nine years. She had hated him every moment of the acquaintance. Yet she somehow hated every single second of this moment the most.  
Oh, how fate was a son of a bitch at times. Here she was, stuck with the one wizard she dreaded more than any. Even more than he-who-had-no-name-and-was-deader-than-a-doornail. She hadn't seen him in close to two years since their graduation from Hogwarts. And she could have happily gone her entire life without ever seeing him again. That was unlikely, she knew.  
Draco Malfoy was, as most girls would say, hotter than hell. He was everything a pureblood was supposed to be. He was handsome, smart, rich, powerful, self-centered, and contemptible. When he enter a room, his confidence engulfed anyone around him. He made others feel lucky by just looking at them. A perfect person. No, scratch that, a perfect wizard.  
Still, if you were to take a closer look, you would see something. His eyes were frigid and dispassionate, displaying his barren soul. When you looked inside him, there was nothing alive. As if someone had taken an eraser and wiped him clean of anything that ever meant something. Blank.  
Still, the abnormal gray coloring of his eyes shrouded this truth efficiently, hid his secret well. And he knew it. He knew all of it. What girls thought of him and, like any young man, he loved it. The attention and the glory he received from everyone who was anyone. Not just for being one of the few in Malfoy bloodline to ever turn his back on the Dark Lord, but also to be the first Malfoy "traitor," to make it past the tender age of eighteen.  
All these reasons, and then some, were why Hermione Granger was even in the same country as Draco. Unlike him, she was just beginning to make a name for herself in the world after leaving Hogwarts. One that separated herself from the other two members of the Golden Trio. She had finally moved up to staff writer for the Daily Prophet after a year, turning her back on working for the Ministry after the war. She had had enough fighting for a lifetime. Sure, she had hated every weather report and every sporting publication, but when her editor heard that she had been in the same year as the one and only Draco Malfoy, it had finally changed.  
So, this was it. Her chance to make columnist. What she had been working so hard for. And it all rested on him. The thought made her want to throw up at the irony. When her editor had told her about the assignment, she had to hold back a laugh.

_"Now, Miss Granger, seeing as you went to school with Mr. Malfoy and worked with him several times on Head Boy and Girl activities, I am hoping you may get to dig a little bit deeper." Yeah right, she mused. "You know he barely talks about his past, or anything for that matter, to the public. So, Granger, get the story or get the shove."  
_  
And she would. Nothing was going to get in her way. She deeply sighed before asking her first question.  
"So, Mr. Malfoy." His smile broadened. She could, and would, kill him if he messed this up for her. Ferret. "How is it that you have managed to take control of the Wizards Firm in such a short time?"  
"Well, you see, Granger..." She cut him off.

"Miss Granger, if you would be so kind." She squinted her eyes at him.  
"Fine, Miss Granger, after the sudden retirement of Claremont, I was made partner by his request."  
"And why did he request this? You had only been there for three months. Usually it takes twenty to thirty years." He cocked an eyebrow.  
"He said he owed my family a favor." He deathly glared at her. A touchy topic, probably the only one, for Draco was his family. Mostly, and understandably, his Father. She didn't want to even go there. She knew him well enough to leave that topic alone. Didn't mean she couldn't dance around it though. "And who am I to fight the wishes of a sick friend?"  
"I see." And with that the interview continued. The same old same old blah blah blah stories. Things she already knew and still didn't care about. She quickly glanced out the window of the restaurant. If she weren't with whom she was with, she would have said this was the most perfect place she had ever been to. She had never been to Italy before, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to leave. She was listening to his answer drearily when he quickly stopped mid-sentence. She knew why.  
Magic. Not any magic but sinister magic. Slowly, it was filling the restaurant. But this place was full of innocent muggles. She quickly glanced around the busy room before turning to face Malfoy. She knew they were here for him. Death Eaters here to try and kill him for the billionth time, most likely. Sure, he-who-had-been-destroyed-by-the-boy-who-lived was gone, but his followers had other plans. They had been attacking traitors, half-bloods, squibs, and others more frequently. He grabbed her hand from across the table and gave her a look she could never forget. She nodded her head in understanding. He wanted her to get out before they came in. She was a witch and they would know it. He released his grip and sat up straight. She began to stand as to casually end the interview.  
"Malfoy, we should..." but before she could end her farewell line of bull shit, there was a loud crash and she heard someone scream. Then nothing; it all just went dark. Freaking fate. How she truly hated it at times.

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Her head was throbbing. The pain was wrapping around her brain, causing her to fear opening her eyes. The light would be bright. She was dreading it. Still, there was only silence. Nothing, it was as quiet as a tomb. Her eyes sluggishly opened. But there was nothing. Only darkness. Her eyes darted around, frightened, as she sat up.

Oh God, she had been captured. Her mind started to reel. What would she do? How could she escape? Her eyes began to burn, her throat releasing a small whimper. Wand, wand, must find wand.

"Calm down, Granger." Her head snapped towards the voice. That voice. She felt her stomach turn. In a quick, and what she could assume was graceful, movement, he struck a match. Reaching smoothly across the small nightstand, he carelessly lit a small white candle. The room slowly took shape as her eyes adjusted to the faint light. He was in a large armchair. His legs were lazily draped across the small coffee table in front of him. His face was stone as per usual, and he was letting the match burn in his fingers. He didn't flinch. And then it hit her.

She was in a bed. A huge, king size, silk covered, engulfing her petite frame, BED. And she was injured. She could now feel it. The fear had numbed it at first, but now the pain was shooting up her body. She reached down and pulled her shirt up slightly. A large piece of gauze was covering her midriff.

"I took care of your wound, Granger. I hope you don't mind. I didn't." She gave him the death glare as her skin began to crawl with the thought of him touching her.

"Where are we, Malfoy?" She pulled her shirt back down and glanced around the obviously expensive, yet beautiful, room.

"Earth." He smirked. She was going to kill him. "Well, some of us are." She looked confused for a moment before realizing his eyes were staring at her hair. She self-consciously touched the frizzy mess. A quick blush spread across her face.

"Shut up, you ass." She slowly slid out of the bed, being careful not to cause any more pain. She went towards what she assumed was a bathroom and went inside. She could feel his eyes on her. Glaring at her. Following her every move. She slammed the door behind her.

"Your bag is on the floor, Granger. I took the liberty of having it removed from your hotel room. You checked out, by the way." After a few minutes, the door opened. She had fixed her hair and changed into jeans and a black shirt.

"And why, pray tell, did you do that?" She leaned against the doorframe and glared at him.

"They want to kill you." He said it like you would say, 'You want a cup of coffee?'

"What? Why in the hell would they want to kill me?"

"Several reasons." She gave him a look and he sighed. She was so very beyond aggravating. "Because, Granger. Not only are you a direct connection to Potter, you're also a reporter. And who likes reporters?" She crossed her arms.

"That's ridiculous. They have known about my friendship with Harry for years and never gone above and beyond to attack me." For the first time, he glanced away from her. He quickly looked back up at her, yet it was too late, she had caught it. "What else, Malfoy?" He looked away again. "What?"

"They know our future."

"What do you mean," she took a deep breath before saying the word, "OUR future?" He stood for the first time. She felt sick again. He began to pace back and forth. 'Oh God, this is bad. This is going to be really, really bad,' she thought silently to herself.

"Damn it Granger!" His voice boomed through the room, yet somehow remained smooth. Calm. Malfoy. Her eyes widened with surprise.

"What the hell did I do?" Her voice was equal to his level. The only difference was that it was shaky. And still small in a way. "Don't yell at me, Malfoy, or I swear I will..." Her voice faded out. He was stalking towards her. She took a step back and hit the wall. Trapped. Her body flinched as his hands slammed down hard on the wall. Really trapped.

"Or you'll do what?" His voice, though she would never admit it, scared her. It was low and deep, filled with darkness it seemed. Still, she was a Gryffindor. She glared up at him, her brown eyes full of pride and defiance. They stared each other down for a few moments before she rolled her eyes at him. Her way of saying, 'Nothing.' His cocky grin spread across his face, and for a moment she thought about slapping it right off. "Listen Granger, I don't know what they know. Or how they know. But they know something that involves," he looked her up and down with a repulsed eye, "us."

"I think they have got the wrong girl." She quickly perked up and smiled. "Or the wrong boy." The sarcasm in her voice was thick. Her right eyebrow lifted lightly.

"Well, whatever it is, they have something wrong." He bent his head down, lightly placing his lips centimeters from her ears. "But really, Granger, am I that bad?" he said in a low whisper.

"Yes," she said flatly. He pushed his hands off the wall and began to walk towards the edge of the bed. He sat down and turned on the television.

"I'm cursed. The one girl I'm stuck with is the only girl I would never sleep with."

"Actually I think it's, 'the one girl I'm stuck with is the only girl who would never sleep with me.'" She walked back towards the bathroom. "Wait." She stopped dead in her tracks. "What do you mean stuck with? I'm leaving."

"You can't." She snorted and folded her arms.

"Yes I can. Here, watch me pack." He flicked the t.v. off and smirked at her.

"Well, you can pack, cause we're leaving."

"NO. I'm leaving. Me alone. Not you." Her voice was full of worry. She really didn't have to stay with him, did she?

"No, you're coming with me, and we're leaving together!" He was getting irritated.

"Why?"

"You know, for a smart girl, you sure are acting stupid. Did you just miss the whole 'Death Eaters are trying to kill you' conversation because I swear I wasn't talking to myself." She stood in front of him and gloated.

"I don't need anyone's help. Especially yours." He quickly reached up and delicately poked her side next to her wound. She gave a short yelp of pain and grabbed the spot. It was his turn to raise an eyebrow. He had won. "I hate you." He smiled at her.

"Likewise. Now, get your things cause we really should get going, Granger."

"And, pray, do tell again, where are we going?" He picked up a piece of luggage and threw a sweater at her, hitting her in the face. Most likely on purpose.

"Greece."

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Draco glanced at the young women sitting next to him. She was fidgeting nervously as she stared out the window. The driver of the taxi had to be the slowest motorist in the world, Draco had concluded. Or maybe it was the person sitting next to him that was making the ride so long. Either way, this was hell, he was sure. The trip to Greece had been dull and he hadn't said more than two words to her. Those words being a harsh, 'Move' and 'Go.' She had made no attempts at conversation and he speechlessly thanked God for this gift. The gift of her mouth shut and silent.

But right now, he was pretty sure that if she didn't sit still for one second, he would reach out his wand and...

"Granger, could you stop fidgeting? It's bothering me." His voice was cold and deep. She turned her head towards him and glared.

"Malfoy, could you stop breathing? It's bothering me," she snapped back just as coldly. He smirked at her.

"Charmed, I'm sure." He received a sarcastically sweet smile from her and looked away. He stared out the window. 'Don't kill her. Don't kill her.' He continued to chant the words in his head when she abruptly interrupted them.

"Where are we going Malfoy?" It was less of a question and more of a demand. He just starred at her for a few moments. His face blank of any kind of emotion. She lifted her eyebrows. "Hello!"

"To see an old friend." She sighed. If he was going to be forced to talk to her, he could at least frustrate her. He did desire some fun in life. And pissing off Granger sure was fun.

"To see an old friend, what is this a riddle? Who?" He smirked at her.

"Well, less of a friend and more of a mentor." He noticed they were coming up on the small home. "Professor Trelawney is expecting us, I'm sure." Her face dropped.

"What?" Her voice was so loud, it even made the driver jump. "Are you kidding me? People are trying to kill us, and your plan is to go see that… that… that… I don't even know what to say." She sank down low in the seat. So low that the seat belt was hitting her chin.

"It's not my plan, it's Dumbledore's and that… whatever you want to call her, is a good way of finding out what the hell is going on." She glared at him.

"How is seeing an illogical women going to help us with death eaters?" The car came to a stop. Draco handed the sluggish man some money and told him to wait there. He looked over at her and glared back.

"Listen Granger, the death eaters saw the future. What does Professor Trelawney do? Sees the future. So if we know what they know, we might be able to make a plan. Now get out of the car." He didn't wait for a response. He opened the door and climbed out, the cool air hitting his pale skin. He didn't turn to see if she obeyed. He actually didn't care. He headed towards the small home when he heard the door slam behind him. He smiled as he heard her groan following him. He reached the door and turned to face her. Her agitation was apparent. He smirked at her, and she sneered. Everything was normal. He was about to knock on the door when it was flung open.

"Darlings, I've been excepting you." Professor Trelawney smiled brightly and motioned for them to enter.

"I bet," Hermione said softly as she followed the aging women into a darkened room.

"What was that, Granger?" he questioned. God, did she hate him.

"Nothing Malfoy, you must be hearings things. You know, doctors say when you hear people in your head, you're crazy."

"Oh sweetheart, doctors know nothing. If that was true, then I would be beyond crazy." Professor Trelawney injected.

"My point exactly," Hermione huffed.

"Oh, come now dears, take a seat." He sat down on the comfortable couch and leaned back. He was tired, he had to admit. He hadn't slept in over forty-eight hours and, to top that off, Granger was exhausting. She sat next to him. As far away as possible, he noticed, and Professor Trelawney sat across from them in a large chair. "So, Dumbledore has informed me of your situation. I have been meditating on the circumstances for the last few hours now. Your auras are very strained. Especially yours, dear." She pointed towards Hermione. Draco held back a laugh. "Still, I got a few glances and sensations. What I need for you to do now is to look into this crystal ball and concentrate on each other."

Hermione rolled her eyes as she sat forward in her seat. Draco followed her movements and sighed. Concentrate on Hermione; good God, this was Hell. 'Alright Draco, Granger is annoying, exasperating, irksome, plain, a virgin no doubt, short, and extremely worthless.' He was beginning to think this was useless when something inside the crystal flashed.

He looked at the young women filling his thoughts. Her eyes had widened and she had seen it to. He looked back into the crystal and saw a picture forming in a fog. He wanted to kill himself.

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They hadn't made eye contact in three hours, both their minds reeling with what they had seen. She sat on the bed with her back to him, staring at nothing. He was pretending to read a newspaper but was in all honesty staring at her. This was the most uncomfortable he had ever been in his entire life. And that was saying something. He had avoided thinking about what he had seen. His sanity depended on it. Still, he knew they would have to inevitably talk about it.

"I hate the name Alex." She kept her back to him. The inevitable came. He gracefully folded up the newspaper and sat it down. For the first time in his life, he was giving her his full attention. "I hate that name. We're not naming any of our kids Alex, okay?" Her voice was becoming frantic.

"Granger," he said slowly. She was going to freak out this much, he knew. How bad, he couldn't tell. "Just stay calm." She turned around and faced him, her eyes large now, full of tears. She didn't shed any; she fought them back.

"Stay calm? Are you crazy? Today, I found out that I am the future Mrs. Draco Malfoy." She paused for a moment. He hadn't thought of it that way. He didn't want to. "Oh my God. OH MY GOD! I'm going to be called that. Mrs. Malfoy. Oh God! This can't be. I hate you. I hate everything about you." She rose to her feet and climbed on top of the bed, standing on it like a small child. "And look at you." She pointed at him repetitively. "You sit there like someone just told you the weather forecast. You're this tall, blond mass of nothing, and one day I'm going to—" She sat down on the bed and put her head in her hands. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"I think you already are." Her head shot up and she looked like she was going to rip out his throat with her bare hands.

"This is not time for jokes, Malfoy." Her eyes were on fire. In reality, he was trying not to think about it. The thought of falling in love with Hermione Granger made him want to run screaming down the street. But he couldn't. He wasn't allowed to. Dumbledore gave him orders and he would follow them. "I don't believe it. I can't, I mean, it has to be a spell or something." She wasn't really talking to him, more like thinking out loud.

"You know it wasn't a spell, Granger. You heard Professor Trelawney. It just happens. You know, fate. We can't fight fate. And fate says that in less than a year, you and I will be..." He couldn't say it. He didn't want to. He wanted to get drunk. He wanted to run away. He wanted to kill her. But most of all, he wanted to laugh at the irony of it all.

"Shut up, Malfoy." With that, she got off the bed and walked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Freaking Fate.

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"Malfoy." Hermione looked down at the sleeping young man. His blond spiked hair in a mess, he lightly twitched and continued sleeping. How he could sleep at a time like this, she would never know.

"Malfoy." She thought about punching him in the face. That would surely wake him up. It wasn't fair that he fell asleep while she had been up all night thinking about what that crazy women had said, telling her why in the world she was stuck with the one person she hated most, with a group of death eaters trying to kill them. She was sure she had lost her job, and for that, she could kill him. She had concluded she had several valid reasons to kill him. Actually, seventy-eight to be exact. She also had a headache from thinking too much. Even for her.

"MALFOY!" He didn't move. 'Unbelievable,' she thought. She was about to punch him when she saw the gleam in his pale eyes. The light from the early morning moon barely caught his eyes in the black room.

"Yes, Granger?" he said, the words so nonchalant that it irritated her. Everything he did irritated her. His words were muffled. He didn't even bother to take the right side of his face out of the pillow.

"We need to talk." She crossed her arms across her chest.

"At four in the morning? Honestly, Granger, get some sleep."

"Get some sleep?" She began to pace around the room again. "Are you kidding me? How can I sleep?" He groaned and covered his ears with his hands. "You are absurd. You can't even realize the seriousness of this situation. You don't even care—"

"Of course I care, but, unlike you, some of us do need our beauty sleep. Actually, I think you need more beauty sleep than me."

"Malfoy, please, can you be serious for two seconds?" He rolled his eyes and turned onto his stomach.

"Fine. What do you want Granger?" She looked at him, unconvinced. "I promise to play nice."

"So, you saw what I saw, right?" He nodded slowly. "Okay." A few moments passed. Moments so awkward and so full of tension, she was sure she couldn't take a step because it was so thick. "What do we do?"

"We follow Dumbledore's orders. We do what he says and stay alive."

"Do you think he knows what we know?" she asked weakly.

"I think he knows that and then some." She slowly walked over to the bed and sighed. She sat at the edge of it and looked at him.

"And us. What about us?" She didn't look at him. She didn't want to, didn't want him to see that fear in her eyes. The fear of her own fate. A fate that seemed to entwine him with her. Of course, she could just kill him.

"It's not about just us. It's about our families. Our parents and our children."

"How can you just... except that? How can you just let it roll off your back like that?" She stood again and walked across the room. She stared out the window.

"What's the point in not?" She faced him and glared.

"The point is that I hate you. You made my life hell. You called me names. You wished me dead probably a thousand times and then some."

"I have never wished you dead," he said quietly.

"Oh, yeah, right. Don't lie to me, Malfoy. I can see right through you." She turned away from him again and glared out the window. This was absurd. She needed to get away from him. Away from this craziness.

Suddenly a large hand covered her mouth. When had he gotten out of bed? How hadn't she noticed?

"Shh." His hot breath tickled her ear as he softly made the sound. She didn't try to pull away from him. She felt them, too. Coming closer to them. He bent down and grabbed their bags, releasing her mouth. "Follow me." He pushed her lower back with his hand and she obeyed. He reached around her and was about to open the door when the handle jiggled. Hermione lightly jumped back, and he covered her mouth with the hand that was just at the doorknob.

They were too late. The Death Eaters were at their door. Their door that was five stories up, in a room with no other way out. The door jiggled again, and she stepped backward, her back lightly hitting his chest. "Bathroom." He gave the order and she jumped at the chance to get away from the door. She got into the bathroom and he followed behind her, silently closing the door. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into the shower, closing the curtain behind them.

"You didn't lock the door," she whispered.

"Then they would know someone was inside. Now shut up." He pushed her back up against the cold tile. She heard the door open with a slight bang. Magical entrances, no doubt. And she was scared. She subconsciously touched the wound on her stomach before closing her eyes. She felt a tear fall down her cheek and choked back a cry. She was going to die.

And then he did something that truly surprised her. He wrapped his arms around her, burying her inside his cloak. She hid her face in his chest, praying to God. The bathroom door opened and she heard a footstep hit the tile floor. She held her breath.

"Did they get away, sir?" The voice was raspy and cold. So cold it sent a chill down her spine.

"Yes. Damn it. Someone must have tipped them off. Strange, how could they have known?" There was silence for a few moments and she closed her eyes and he grabbed her tighter. "Let's get down to the lobby and see if they checked out." She heard the door close and was about to move but he didn't let her go. She wondered what he was doing and then heard the front door close again. After about a minute, he let her go before stepping out of the shower. It felt like a lifetime.

"Stay here while I make sure they left." He walked out of the bathroom and came back a few minutes later. When he walked back in, he put his wand into his pocket. "All clear. Let's get going." She didn't move, though. She just stared at him, her face full of fear and sorrow. "Granger, what's wrong?" He took a step forward and saw the tears streaming down her face. She was crying, yet she was emotionless. Like when you cut an onion and you don't feel anything, but the tears just stream down your face.

"I don't want this," was all she said. Her voice was heartbreaking. He didn't say anything, only looked at her understandingly. He didn't blame her. He didn't want this either. After a few moments, she wiped her tears off her face and, from what he could tell, regained her bravery. Like a true Gryffindor, she collected herself and her inner strength. She stepped out of the shower and picked up her bag. She walked past him and lightly hit his shoulder with her own.

"Let's go, Malfoy." She said the words harshly. He followed her out the door and to the elevator. She pushed the button and looked at him quickly before starring at the door. The bell dinged and they step through the large metal doors. She hit the garage button and smirked at him.

"What are you looking at, Granger?" She turned away from him and looked forward towards the door, her smirk only growing.

"I should have just killed you." He looked over at her and then forward again, a small smile playing on his lips. The elevator doors closed.!


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I own nothing... Not a damn diggidy thingy... Yup Yup or I would be richer the gates... If only if only...!

**Each Other**

**By: Breeze**

"But Granger, I don't see why we can't just magically go to London. These Muggle planes really do get old after a while." He snatched the ticket from her hand and gave it to the man across the counter. "I mean, we're a wizard and a witch." Hermione noticed the ticket man at the counter giving Draco a 'crazy person' look. She grabbed the tickets from the man before he could and laughed.

"Aww, that's right Draco, and there will be lions and tigers and bears. Oh my!" She gave the man a sweet smile. "It's just easier to humor the poor boy." The man nodded understandingly as Hermione gave Draco a rough shove. "To the land of Oz we go, Dorothy." Draco gave her a death glare as they walked to the plane. It had taken them almost an hour to get through security, and Hermione was exhausted. She hadn't slept in; well, it had been a while. Her side was throbbing with pain, but she would rather die than let Malfoy know that their frantic pace was catching up with her. She had to stay strong.

"It would be faster to ride a broom." She stopped in the center of the aisle and turned to face him. She sighed out of frustration, exhaustion, anger, and about a thousand other emotions. He stopped walking as she faced him and smirked. "What, Granger? Change your mind?" She tried to calm herself. She had to say this nicely or not at all, that much she was sure.

"Listen Malfoy, you can't just talk about broomsticks and wands around Muggles." She subconsciously looked around to make sure no one else was walking toward the plane. "They will think you're crazy and suspect you of things. The whole point in taking a plane is to remain low key. So can you just try and forget about all the magic stuff for the duration of this flight." He snorted.

"Now, why should I listen to you, Granger?" She took a step closer to him. It was her turn to smirk.

"Let's put it this way, shall we? I know as much about Muggles as you know about Death Eaters." He looked at her for a few moments before allowing defeat. He knew she was right. Her smirk turned into a smile. "Alright then. Let's go eat some bad food and watch a lame movie." She turned and walked towards the two flight attendants standing by the plane door.

"Wait, you didn't say anything about BAD food," he called from behind her. She only rolled her eyes.

As he stepped out of the airport doors and into London's cool air, he tweaked his neck to crack it. The flight had been nothing short of life altering for Draco Malfoy. He was a different man than the one that had stepped onto the flight. He looked down at the short girl giving him a suspicious eye. "I just—I can't believe he beat the dragon slash witch in the end."

"And I still can't believe you have never seen nor heard of Sleeping Beauty before." She headed toward a taxi sitting in the drop off area, pulling her luggage behind her. She hit the trunk once and it popped open. She piled her bags inside, and he followed her actions smoothly. He slammed the trunk shut before giving her another look.

"Is that really how Muggles used to make thread?" He was completely serious and puzzled, only making the question ten times funnier for Hermione. She opened the door and tired not to laugh at the foolishness of his question.

"Yeah, and they used to make fire with sticks." She got in the cab and lightly laughed, and he climbed in behind her, his face full of amazement and disbelief. The taxi driver turned around and looked at the two young adults.

"Where to?" Hermione was about the say 'The Leaky Cauldron Shop,' when Draco cut her off.

"The nearest hotel please." Hermione gave him a confused look. "Listen Granger, it's late and you need to sleep. Besides, Dumbledore and Snape aren't meeting us until tomorrow; I figure it's safer to stay away from Diagon Alley until then." She gave him a small glare.

"And who are you to tell me if I need sleep or not?" He gave her a look that almost said, 'Duh!'

"Oh, come on Granger, making fire with sticks?" She was about to say something when she decided to let it go. She was really too tired to argue with him, and she figured he wasn't about to grasp the concept anytime soon.

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"Another night, another hotel." He heard the sarcasm in her voice and smirked.

"Well it's better than being dead." He then looked her, then up and down and around the cozy room. "Well, not by much, but it is better."

"Well, Malfoy, the only way to find out which is really better is to die; therefore, you can compare and contrast. Here, let me help you with the situation." She gave him one of her sweet smiles. Still, the ones she gave him were very different from the ones she gave total strangers. How ironic it was; she could give a stranger a warm inviting smile, but when it came to her "foreseen future husband," she could only deliver sarcasm and disgust. To think, he was supposed to fall in love with her by choice. Ridiculous.

"Honestly, Granger, I know you're tired, but do your jaws ever get tired of flapping about?" She gave him an irritated glare before moving to pick up her bag.

"You know what, Malfoy, just shut u—Ouch." He glanced over at her. She was holding her side where the injury was. The pain was written across her face. He walked over to her and grabbed the bag out of her hand, throwing it onto the bed. "Thank you." The kindness in her voice startled him. In a way, it made him extremely uncomfortable. He didn't know how to respond. She bit her bottom lip, proving to him that she was just as uncomfortable.

"Sure, Granger." He tried to sound nice, but it, as usual, came out as superior. He stared at her for a moment before walking over and pulling the curtains closed and double bolting the door shut. The room turned a dark gray color. "Don't turn on the lights. We need to keep the room looking as empty as possible." She nodded quickly, and he realized she was spacing out. "Granger?" She lightly jumped back and gazed at him for a moment.

"What? Oh, okay, no lights. I got it." He looked at her questionably for a moment before he really noticed how tired she was. Her shoulders were slouched, and her eyes were distant. Yet he realized, unknowingly, that she was still pretty. Not in the, 'I want to have my way with you,' way but in the... "Sorry, I guess I just need some rest." Her voice snapped Draco away from his thoughts.

"Yeah." He looked at her stomach for a moment and sighed. "Go change and then I'll change your bandages." She stopped looking through her bag that she had been rummaging through while he was staring at her.

"You?" He smirked at her.

"Yes, Granger, me, the person who put them there in the first place." Her lips made an O shape before she walked into the bathroom. He heard the door lock and smiled. She was still as modest as she was in school. Still as innocent. She was still the same, yet she was different. Or maybe she had always been this tough, and he had been too busy judging her to see it. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. He was beginning to think he needed sleep as much as she did.

The bathroom door opened, and Draco opened his own bag to pull out some gauze and disinfectant. He had learned early on to bring the essentials. His life, unlike her own, was used to both this frantic pace and danger. His death seemed to constantly be two steps behind him. He was always trying to stay ahead.

Always.

She silently walked across the room and stood in front of him. She slowly lifted her shirt to reveal her stomach. He felt himself gulp. Not out of lust but out of fear. He was a hundred and ten percent sure that if Hermione caught him eyeing her in any way imaginable, she would kill him.

Two steps ahead.

He sat down on the bed to be level with the wound. He pulled back the gauze and looked at the wound for a moment. It had healed a little but was still rather large. He opened the disinfectant and looked up at her.

"Don't move, Granger." Before he could even breathe, she jumped back.

"What? Why? What's wrong? Oh God, I knew I should have gone to a doctor instead of trusting you." He fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"Granger, would you calm down? Everything is fine, but this stuff is going to burn, and I was giving you a warning." He could have sworn she blushed with embarrassment. She looked at the ground before taking a step closer.

"Sorry." She pulled up her shirt again and bit her lip.

"Honestly, you can be such a girl."

"No? Really? I thought the hair and nail polish would give that away. Or maybe the skirts and high pitched voice. But, alas, it was my fear of having a four-inch gash on my stomach to bring out the girl in me. Well, if that's all it took to make it clearly obvious that I am, in fact, a girl, I guess I can cancel the—what are you doing?" She looked down at him, and he smirked.

"Building a house." She glared.

"Malfoy!" He ignored her and continued taping the clean gaze onto her cut. "What about the disinfectant?" He reached up and grabbed her shirt to pull it down.

"I put it on while your mouth was exercising." He kicked off his shoes and took off his jacket. As he stood, she sat down in the spot he previously occupied. She watched him double check the door before walking to the bed and lying down on his stomach. She followed suit and laid down with her back to him. She laid there in silence for a few moments before clearing her throat.

"Malfoy." She heard him grunt a distorted 'what.' "Do you believe it?" She turned onto her back, and he followed suit.

"I don't know, Granger." He looked over at her and almost sneered. "I highly doubt it."

"Likewise." She rolled over away from him again. He looked up at the ceiling and frowned. He though to himself with almost a bit of irony, Hermione Granger at times probably wanted him dead more than any death eater.

One step ahead.

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The Leaky Cauldron did not seem to be the best place to meet Snape and Dumbledore. Hermione had, of course, been extremely vocal about this on the way to meet the two superiors. She had finally stopped due to the look on Draco's face. Not because she was afraid of him, but because it was just too amusing for words. He wasn't the only one that got joy out of driving the other crazy. In fact, he was so obvious about this enjoyment, while with she, it was more of her own secret pleasure.

Now, as she stepped through the door, she was practically glowing. She glanced around the room before spotting the two sitting at a booth in the back, secluded from the others, not that it mattered much. Suddenly, the glow disappeared from her face as she remembered why she was here. And who she was here with.

She, as well as everyone else, knew nothing was kept secret in the Leaky Cauldron. There is always someone listening. Especially when a Malfoy is around. Add a headmaster, a professor, and a member of the "Golden Trio", then you basically have a thousand ears listening. Still, it was one of the few safe places to meet due to the amount of pure wizards around. They were safe, yet heard.

They reached the darkened booth and sat on opposite sides of another. Draco next to Snape, and Hermione sat next to Dumbledore. The two young adults didn't notice this, but the two wiser ones did. Snape shot Dumbledore a quick glance that seemed to say, 'Well, they still hate each other.'

"Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy, it's safe to say you're alive and well." Hermione looked at Professor Snape quickly before glancing away. She had promised herself to be polite to the Professor, but it was hard. She had spent so many years being, in her own way, defiant of the man.

"Yes sir," Hermione squeaked while Draco barely even shook his head in agreement. Snape's favoritism for Draco had bothered her during her days at Hogwarts, and she now comprehended this situation would be no different. The two seemed to have some strange secret code or something. She had never been able to put her finger on it. She figured no one ever had, except the two of them.

"Well, Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, we won't waste time." Her heart skipped a beat. Did she really want to hear what Dumbledore had to say? Whatever it was, she knew it would be final. "I truly wish I came bearing better news of your situation." Hermione looked at the aging man seated next to her, her heart sinking as his words hit her like a tidal wave. She knew all too well that if Dumbledore believed it, there was very little room to doubt their fate. She looked across the table at Draco, his face stone. His eyes met hers for a brief second before he looked away. "You two are to fall in love..."

And there it was.

Straight from his lips to her ears. She didn't know whether to laugh outright or cry. All she knew was that she suddenly felt sick to her stomach. She glanced at Draco again, his face still blank and controlled. Snape, on the other hand, had the same look playing on his face that she was almost certain was on her own. Shock slash humor at the irony of it all.

"... and the death eaters are intent on killing you before that happens. We're not sure why; all we do know is that it involves the outcome of their strengthening rebellion." Hermione shifted uncomfortably. She thought about putting her head between her knees and breathing into a paper bag. Basically, she was freaking out. She looked at Draco again, but this time, she was mad. How was it that this person, this one annoying person, kept floating back into her life. 'Fate.' Her mind echoed the words, and she knew it was true. Still, she wasn't ready to accept it.

"So, then why are we staying together? If we are separated, then we can't fall in love. If we don't fall in love, there's no reason to kill us." Was she the only one who was thinking this? Draco snorted.

"Because, Granger, they're going to kill us no matter what. Even if we aren't physically together, they're still going to kill us to make sure we never fall in love. Ever." Dumbledore nodded in agreement. She was getting frustrated again.

"So, what does that mean? I have to stay with him so we can what? Protect each other?" Snape looked at her.

"Precisely, Miss Granger." A new wave of sickness washed over her, if that was even possible. She looked at Snape and then at Draco. Their smug looks finally pushed her to the edge. She stood up without hesitation, knocking the table. Dumbledore only steadied his butterbeer while looking at Hermione. She could have sworn he was about to offer her a lemon drop or some kind of thing to 'calm her down.' Still, she spoke, well, lightly screamed, before he got the chance.

"NO! No, no, no, do you hear me? I am not—will not—stay with this—this—" She pointed to Draco. "—Jerk! He is not responsible for my life, and I am not responsible for his! I don't love him! I don't even like him as a human being! The only thing being around him has brought me is a lost job and a cut on my side bigger than a wand. I am tired, and I am going to my apartment now that I'm back in London, and I pray to everything that is good in this world that I will never see you," her finger gave another fierce jolt in his direction, "AGAIN!"

And with that, she stormed out of the building. Dumbledore sighed tiredly. He looked at the swinging door and then towards Draco. He said a few vital words to the young man before the blond haired boy chased after the brunette that was annoyingly pushing his limits.

In the very worst of ways.

She was walking as fast as she could without looking like she had lost her mind. Then again, she might have. The adrenaline was pumping through her veins, and she felt horrible for speaking to Dumbledore in such a disrespectful manner. But she had had enough. She had been dragged around and pushed around, and Hermione Granger was not that kind of girl. She was independent and smart and she had had enough. The situation was ridiculous, and she would have nothing to do with it anymore.

"Granger." She stopped walking and turned. Coming down the sidewalk was the one thing she wanted to get away from. She wanted to punch him. Again.

"What, Malfoy?" She spat the words out so coldly she even surprised herself.

"You can't just go back to your apartment. You just can't walk down the street." He took the last few steps toward her before stopping.

"Don't tell me what to do, Malfoy." She turned on her heel and began walking away. "You can't tell me what to do."

"Yes, I can, Granger." She turned to face him, finally realizing he was just as mad. Beneath his dull eyes, there was anger. She took a few steps toward him and put her hands on her hips, trying to be as intimidating as possible.

"No, you can't." He looked at her with disdain. They had both had enough, and Snape may have spoken too soon about the alive and well thing.

"Why can't you just shut your mouth for ten minutes and listen to what they have to say Granger?"

"Because, you idiot, if Dumbledore says it, then it is true. Don't you realize what that means?" She put her hand next to her ear, mockingly pretending to listen. "Hark, are those the sounds of wedding bells? Oh, no, wait, it's the sound of hell freezing over!" Draco only ignored the last part.

"Of course I know what it means, Granger." His voice slightly raised. "What makes you think I am any less pissed off about the situation than you are?"

"Maybe because you have the emotional span of a brick." She deepened her voice to imitate him. "I'm Draco Malfoy, when I am mad, sad, glad, or happy, I smirk. Occasionally I get a little wild and grimace. But not very often. Why? Cause it's my thing. Still, you should know how I feel. Wait, what? You can't read minds?" He smirked at her, and she knew he did it just to piss her off more.

"Sarcasm is not becoming of you, Granger." His voice was in a low growl of warning.

"Well it's the truth," she shot back.

"And do you know what also is the truth, Granger? We are stuck together. We are in this together. So, no matter how long it takes, and no matter what it takes, we have to rely on each other. Can you not understand the danger we are facing? Death Eaters are not something to be taken lightly." She practically jumped at him with anger.

"Don't you dare assume I don't understand how dangerous the situation is! I have been in these situations since my first year at Hogwarts, and this is nothing new for me. Unlike you, I didn't go through school having a name to protect me. And, unlike you, I'm not a coward, and I don't run from the things that go bump in the night!" He reached out and grabbed her shoulders harshly, his fingers digging into her skin, bruising it, no doubt. She finally thought she had gone too far. In fact, she knew she had. She held her breath, waiting for him to explode. She had heard of the Malfoy temper and seen it a few times herself.

"We are going back to the hotel, Granger. Then we are waiting there until Dumbledore owls us with some information he's waiting for or something. Now, I am letting you go and heading back to the hotel, and, so help me Merlin, if I don't hear your footsteps behind me, I will render you unconscious and carry you back."

He paused for a few moments, looking around the street. She did the same, trying to calm down. After a few seconds, a sudden wave of realization washed over her. The few muggles walking down the street were watching them. And they were probably thinking they were having some kind of lovers' spat.

Oh God.

She had to get away from him. She really did. And yet, for some hopeless and unexplainable reason, she followed him, unaware of the foreshadowing that was taking place as they walked together. One leading and the other following.

Yet both knew exactly where they would end up.


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I own nothing... Not a damn diggidy thingy... Yup Yup or I would be richer the gates... If only if only...!

**Each Other**

**By: Breeze**

Her eyes frantically searched the large hotel room. The room had been practically spotless when she had left. Unsurprisingly, Malfoy was a neat freak. But it was now in shambles and gave away the aftermath of a fight. One of the windows had been broken, along with a lamp and the television that were both flickering. The silence was chilling as she took a step away from the door, hearing it lock behind her. She had left the room for only ten minutes. She held her wand out in front of her tightly, her mind racing, screaming at her. They had stayed here too long. A week was too long.

The early morning sun streamed through the window, and she quickly glanced out over the Paris skyline. She felt her stomach lurch as she realized she couldn't stay in the same city for over a week. What would happen when they ran out of cities? Could they hide forever?

It had only been a month since they left London, and the scene with Dumbledore had taken place. And things were only getting worse. She pushed the thought out of her mind and focused her attention back on the current matter. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the trail of blood leading to the bathroom. She walked towards it, opening the door cautiously, and, for one of the few times in her life, she was relieved to see Draco Malfoy.

He was sitting on the floor, his back leaning against the white tiles that covered the side of the bath tube and blended into the floor. His fluffy spiked hair had several streaks of red in it. His eyes were closed, but his hand still rested on his wand, lying next to him on the floor. His black clothing clashed with the white floor.

She hesitated a few moments, staring at him, not sure what to do. She had never seen him so undone. So near defeat. After a few uneasy seconds, she slowly went to his side and squatted next to him. He stayed still, and she was beginning to worry about him. She reached out and lightly touched the hand that was resting on his wand. He jerked slightly but then relaxed.

"Malfoy?" Her voice was full of question. "What happened?"

"There were only three, Granger." He didn't open his eyes. "They were waiting for one of us to be alone." He finally looked at her, his gray eyes locking with her own. He looked tired.

"Are you hurt?" He nodded once, his eyes not leaving her own. She glanced around the bathroom and noticed the mirror was shattered. Blood was dripping off the counter top. "Where?"

"Lower back and left shoulder blade." His voice was monotonous. She guessed there was more to the story than what he was telling her. Still, first things first.

"Alright, stand up and take your shirt off." She stood up as he cocked an eyebrow at her.

"I knew you couldn't wait to get my shirt off, Granger." She glared at him, seeing the evil dance in his eyes. She reached out her hand to help him up.

"I really need to figure out that permanent-shutting-of-ones-mouth spell." She smirked as she saw him try to think of a clever comeback, only to give up. She figured he was too weak to bicker right now. Then, the smirk slowly faded away as he pulled the black sweater over his head. She saw him wince painfully. She had seen him with his shirt off plenty of times over the last month, but it still caused her to flush. He didn't have huge muscles, but they were still lean and defined.

Appealing.

Before he could see her slight blush, she walked around him and held up her wand. She looked at the cuts for a moment. The wound on his lower back would heal completely with a small chant, but the one on his shoulder would take a few days to fade. She quietly whispered the words, silently wishing she knew more advanced healing spells. Every few seconds, he would twitch with pain but remained quiet.

"I'm sorry." He laughed dryly at her words. He knew she was apologizing for more than the pain the healing was causing him. She felt slightly hurt at his laugh because she had meant it.

"For what, Granger?" She wasn't sure how to say it. She cautiously ran her hand across the cut on his shoulder, her fingers brushing the now deeply bruised skin. She felt small chills run through her.

"I shouldn't have left. I don't know," he turned around quickly, "we're supposed to help each other, Malfoy." He smirked at her.

"I think we're beyond help, Granger." He wasn't being sarcastic. He wasn't trying to upset her. It was only the truth, and she knew it.

"So, this is it? This is how we spend the rest of our life? Waiting for them to find us?" He touched her arm, taking a step closer to her, leaving almost no space between their bodies. It was happening again. In the last week, they had almost kissed twice. Both of them had run from the near kisses. Both of them were ignoring it.

Still, she had that feeling in her stomach. And that place where her heart and her throat met was dancing again. She looked up at him, his face stone, his eyes alive.

"That's what they keep telling us, Granger." His hand slowly grazed her collarbone. He wrapped his other around her waist. Her eyes closed. How was this happening again?

"We should leave. It's not safe here." She opened her eyes. There was something in his own she couldn't read. Something so strong. Something that made her stomach do flip-flops.

"Do you mean unsafe in France?" He was beginning to rub small circles on her neck, making it hard for her to breathe. "Or is the unsafe place being this close?"

"I told you, I don't want this." Her voice was weak.

"Neither do I." His voice was husky. He slowly bent down, his lips hovering in front of her own. She closed her eyes again. "But this won't go away."

"Don't." The word was less than a whisper. And even if he had heard it, he didn't listen. The kiss was full of pain and beauty, their mouths finding their resonance against each other, echoes of the soft, breathless murmurs that left her knees weak. His lips were seeking, warm and soft, firm and tender. Her body was rebelling and forgetting as his tongue slid under her upper lip, softly pleading entry, and she allowed his mouth to capture hers and plunge into it.

A tiny moan broke from her throat as he gently slid his fingers over her ribs, tracing the soft concave of her stomach, then down to her hips as he guided them toward his own. Her hands wanted to know the contours of him, and they traveled over his chest slowly.

Suddenly, unbelieving and shocked, Draco broke away. Her mind seemed to instantly kick in again the second his lips left her own, and the shock of what she'd just done registered. Without another word, she turned and fled from the room, and he was left standing there.

She began frantically packing her bag, tossing her clothes into it harshly. After a few moments, she felt him staring at her, his eyes boring into the back of her head. Her hands were shaking as she zipped up the heavy bag. She turned to face him and glared.

"What, Malfoy?" Her voice was sharp. He had put his shirt back on, and he looked cocky.

"You're blushing, Granger." She gave him a death glare.

"I hate you." She spat her words at him. He walked towards her, advancing quickly. She didn't move and stood her ground. He reached out and put a finger through her belt loop. He yanked on it, causing her to take a step closer.

"Likewise, Granger." And he was suddenly kissing her again.

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She didn't look at him. Even though he was asleep and his eyes were closed, she avoided eye contact all together. She had become very good at it, she had to admit to herself. Usually, she would scold herself for not facing her problems head-on, but in this case, she was giving herself leniency. Hell, if she could, without endangering her own life, she would allow herself to go screaming in the other direction. Yet, she couldn't because her life did depend on it.

On him.

On the other hand, her sanity was something she was quickly losing more of. Or, as Harry had put it when she had called him two days earlier, something she could spare for the time being. She wasn't sure whether or not she agreed with him. He, of course, was not aware of the kiss. Or kisses. She quickly put her head in her hands as she thought back to what had happened two days earlier. They had kissed. More than once. Of course, after the second time, she had pulled away and practically hexed him to death. But it had happened. And the uncomfortable tension between the two had grown with each moment.

And she was crying.

Hermione Granger was finally letting it hit her, everything in one swift moment of unbelievable heaviness. And she felt like she couldn't breath. After a month and a half away from home, from the people and job she loved, she was finally crying. She stared out the window toward the empty street, a single streetlight a few stories below her illuminating her lightly. The rain made a light digging noise as it hit the window. She wrapped her arms around herself tighter as the tears slid down her cheeks. She wanted to go home. She wanted to see her parents and have them tell her everything would be okay. She wanted everything but what she had.

Her mind drifted back toward the end of the war. How foolish she had been to think it was over. They were all fools to think that all of Voldemort's supporters would vanish quietly into the night. Their attacks had been frequent and strong, but she had still thought herself safe and her own days of fighting over. She hadn't realized at the time that her own fight was just beginning. Her own battle was only about to get a thousand times worse and then some. That some of the most dangerous and vile creatures in the magic world were out to kill her. To destroy her with one swift hex. And the worst part of the whole situation…

Her two best friends weren't by her side.

For the first time in her young life, she was without them. Without them when the boggart goes bump in the closet. No, she was on her own when it came time to be on the run of her life. One not about the boy-who-lived and his life, but only about the cleverest witch of their time. A muggle-born witch, no less. She really missed Ron and Harry but knew that they had their own issues to worry about. Harry was still… well, Harry. She had concluded that his life would never be simple. And Ron, well Ron had a baby girl to think of. They were all now in different places. She lightly pushed away another tear only to have it be replaced by another, the wet drops tickling her flushed cheeks. She didn't care; she was all alone.

"Granger?" His deep voice filled her ears. Well, almost alone. She didn't look at him, only stared blankly out the window. She heard the rustle of the bed sheets and his feet hit the floor. "Granger, are you hurt?" His voice was not full of concern. It wasn't full of anything. It was just a question. An empty question.

"No." Her answer was just as blank. She wasn't embarrassed. She didn't care what he thought about her right now. Didn't care if he called her weak or girly. She was too upset to care. Her chin rested light on her knees as she pulled them closer to her chest.

"Then why are you crying?" She wanted to tell him, suddenly. Wanted to explain to him that she was deeply homesick and confused. Wanted to tell him everything that was causing her lungs to burn. To put it all on the table.

"No reason." He took another step and sat on the sofa across from the windowsill she was sitting on, his elbows on his knees as he leaned towards her. She didn't need to look at him to see the smirk on his face. She didn't want to see the smirk on his face. She didn't want to look at him. She would only cry harder.

"Granger, people don't cry for no reason." She lightly snorted at his comment.

"What do you care, Malfoy? You're practically one of them." Her voice was cold and unkind. One she was unaware she was capable of. She was half expecting him to slam her against the window and scream at her. But he didn't move.

"That's not true, Granger, and you know it." His voice was angry, though. She knew that voice of his. She finally turned her head to face him, her left leg falling off the sill and his back pressing against the cold glass. Another tear slid down her face as she looked him up and down.

"Do I?" She crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow. "Do I really know that for sure Malfoy? One day you're your daddy's pride and joy. The next you're helping the order, and then you're the love of my life. How can I be sure of anything about you, when everything I thought I knew about you ended up completely wrong?" She lightly choked on a small sob.

"Well, we all can't be as predictable as you, Granger." He didn't say it condescendingly. He said it knowingly, like saying the sun was bright.

"I'm not predictable, Malfoy. I'm normal." The smirk on his face grew as she shot back the comment.

"You, Granger, are anything but normal." He reached out and grabbed her right leg and pulled it off the sill, planting both her feet firmly on the floor. "And you're braver than this." He pointed toward her tears. "So I'm going to ask you again. Why are you crying, Granger?" She thought for a few moments before smiling.

"I want to go home." She looked down at the floor. She didn't want him to a laugh at her straight to her face. He leaned forward and smirked the same as he had the day they'd kissed. But he didn't laugh.

"Granger, whether we like it or not, I think this is the closest to home we're going to have for a while." She didn't know if she should cry harder or laugh outright. But, despite what her head was screaming, her heart knew he was right. She glanced out the window again.

"Yeah, Malfoy, home sweet home."


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I own nothing... Not a damn diggidy thingy... Yup Yup or I would be richer then bill gates... If only if only...!

**Each Other**

**By: Breeze**

"_Would you save him, Hermione?" Her eyes searched the fog, trying desperately to see the owner of the voice. She didn't know whom it belonged to. She had never heard it before, yet it was still so familiar._

"_Save who? Who are you?" she called. There was a deep laugh, and she knew in her heart that she had heard it before. That same menacing growl. But where?_

"_Would you give your life for his own? Your dreams?" the voice asked condescendingly. She glared at into the fog. _

"_Who are you talking about?" she demanded._

"_I am speaking of the one you are destined to." It said simply. She knew then what the voice was saying to her, who it was talking about. She could here its laughter again. She knew that voice, she was suddenly so sure. "Would you, Hermione?" She knew she shouldn't be listening to the voice. But it had struck a cord with her subconscious. Would she be there for him when he needed her? So much had changed, was still changing. Every day that went by, they seemed to be farther away from reality, caught in their own world and troubles, letting no others in. Both paranoid, not of being killed, but of each other. The feelings for him had gone from loathing to liking, if not more. "Could you?" the voice questioned again._

"_I—I don't know." And that was the truth. She didn't know. Before she knew what was happening, a hand wrapped around her neck. She couldn't breathe or think. A hot and foul breath enveloped her senses. She felt like her neck was going to break._

"_Could you love him?"_

Her eyes flew open and she had to keep herself from screaming out in pain, had to keep herself from losing control. She had felt like she was dying. It had been so real. Yet she kept perfectly still, her head continuing to lie on the pillow, facing the sleeping man next to her. His chest rose and fell softly every few seconds, and his blond hair was a complete mess. Staring at him now, he suddenly seemed so very different than the royal pain in her ass that he usually was. In fact, it had only been last night that he had, in his own way, comforted her. She had been upset and he had made the effort to console her.

Yet she was still not sure how to talk to him. In fact, when he had finally coaxed her into going to sleep last night, they hadn't even said good night. They'd just fallen asleep.

It was still raining outside. It had rained all day and she now knew for a fact that the weather was mimicking her mood. She pulled the blanket closer to her body as she shivered, thinking about the voice. She knew that voice, but didn't. She wished she had a book right now to read. One with all the answers to her problems. A book with the answers to the questions that that voice had asked her. Could she love him? No, not yet at least, she hadn't given him the chance. She'd never looked at him in that way.

Who was he?

She had asked herself this question a thousand times throughout the day. Was he the muggleborn hating pureblood? Was he the powerful wizard that had aided Harry in the battle with Voldemort? Was he the smooth lawyer? Or was he the man who had saved her life? Before she knew what she was doing, she had leaned over toward his side of the bed. She reached out to touch his face but pulled away quickly. After a few moments, she leaned over him, his face kind in the moonlight.

"Who are you?" she whispered delicately, her eyes searching his sleeping face. Searching for anything. He lightly stirred before relaxing back into his dreams. She smiled at him, her long brown hair falling to one side, a few strands brushing his chest. She slowly leaned forward, her head coming to a rest on his chest. For a few tense seconds, she held her breath, not wanting him to wake up. But he didn't, he continued sleeping. After a few moments, a large arm wrapped around her, pulling her closer to him. She buried her face into him, feeling for the first time, not only safe, but relaxed. She closed her eyes slowly and fell asleep.

For the first time since that day in the restaurant, she felt safe. And she dreamt of nothing.

His eyes slowly opened. The warm sunlight had been streaming through his eyelids, ending his deep sleep. He pulled the petite body closer to his own. The young women's faced came into view, and for a moment, he had the urge to push her away. But he didn't. The urge vanished and he found himself craving for their closeness to continue. Wanting her. In fact, he had felt that way ever since he'd kissed her. Everything he had been fighting, the disbelief and reluctance, came crashing down. Fate had slammed him in the head with a pair of soft pink lips. And, for some reason, he knew his dark life would never be the same again.

He touched her face lightly, pushing a few stray strands of hair out of her face. When had he memorized her features? He figured he would never know. Her eyes lightly fluttered open, and he suddenly was afraid. She had a tendency to hit when they got in close proximity. But she didn't hit him or glare. Her brown eyes searched his face, the curiosity playing on her features. And, in this moment, he realized she was beautiful. In her own simple way, she was absolutely beautiful. She smiled slightly, somehow hugging him closer, their entwined legs locking together.

"I asked you something last night." Her voice broke the silence. He looked into her eyes, furrowing his brow slightly.

"When?" 'Was she blushing?' he wondered.

"While you were asleep, Malfoy." Her voice was so faint, like a small child confessing an unfinished chore.

"What did you ask, Granger?" he questioned again. Her face suddenly became serious, her eyes somehow aging in front of his own.

"Who are you?" she asked. He gave her an odd look.

"What do you mean?" He could feel her pull away slightly, causing him to tighten his grip around her more. He wouldn't let her run this time. Her wand was on the nightstand, so she couldn't threaten to hex him.

"Which Malfoy are you? Mean one? Heroic one? This one? Which one are you, Malfoy?"

"Draco," he stated blankly. She looked surprised by his statement.

"What?" Her voice was once again soft.

"Draco. I'm all those things, Hermione." Her eyes widened. He had said her name before, of course, but it was the first time he had ever said it without disdain for her. He continued before she passed out. "You have to trust me."

"But do you trust me?" she quickly questioned. He smirked.

"I trust you to save my life unless you yourself are doing the killing." She smirked back in agreement. He smirked back and lifted an eyebrow. "And what is this?" he questioned, implying the position they were currently in. She cautiously took her free hand and reached for his own, the look on her face so obvious with fear. Slowly her fingers knotted with his own. She stared at their hands for a moment. He could feel her heart beating a thousand beats a second, the soft vibrations pounding on his own chest. Her eyes looked away from their hands and met his again.

"This is something that will happen, no matter what. It's fate." His hands fell from her own and wrapped around her waist, pushing her up till their faces were in front of each other.

"And how do you feel about that, Granger?" he said, his voice now turning husky. Their noses rubbed together, and he raised his mouth to hers, their lips touching lightly, fleetingly. His hand on her waist lightly touched the small scar. "There's no going back. We both have seen that." She looked him up and down.

"How do you feel about it, Malfoy?" she asked.

"Well, Granger, who asked who I am? And, the thing is, I don't know who you are, either." She creased her brow, causing her nose to scrunch up. "Don't give me that look, Granger, you are no open book." She rolled her eyes at him.

"And how is that?" She asked sarcastically. She had placed her head back onto his chest, her eyes gazing into his own. Both unaware at the new level of comfort they felt, the naturalness of being so close.

"Well, first of all, you are stubborn." She lifted her head again.

"What? I am not stubborn." He smirked at the shrill in her voice.

"Yes, you are, Granger."

"No, I'm not, Malfoy."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I am not," she growled. He raised his arms to show her he had given up.

"Okay, you're not stubborn. But the thing I don't get about you, Granger, is that one moment you're hexing me and the next you are crying. Now I wake up, and you're in my arms." He lightly tapped her head. "What's it like in there? What are you thinking?" She looked away and then back at him.

"I don't know you."

"I don't know you either, Granger," he shot back warmly.

"Why should I tell you everything when I don't know you, Malfoy?"

"It's like I said, Granger." He once again pulled her closer and kissed her lips. "Trust me." He said the words between small kisses. He let her lips go and she stared at him for a moment before climbing out of the bed. Quickly, before he had a chance to stop her or say anything, she went into the bathroom, and he heard the shower turn on. He jumped out of the bed and went to the door. It was locked, and he pulled out his wand. "_Alohomora_," he said quietly. He heard the lock click and slowly pushed the door open. The warm shower had caused the room to fill with steam. He saw Hermione staring into the foggy mirror. She had her arms crossed and was hugging herself slightly, her flannel pajama bottoms hanging of her small waist.

He took a step closer to her, and the door closed behind him. She didn't turn to face him, only looked into the clouded mirror.

"Hermione?" She didn't move. Her eyes reminded him of the encounter the other night. He walked towards her and stood behind her, his height causing him to tower over her. Her back was to him. He raised his hands and placed them on her small hips. He put his chin on her forehead and smirked. "What's going on in there?"

"We're never going to be safe, are we?" she asked him.

"No. We never will," he answered.

"And we will never be normal."

"No, Granger, we won't." His hands slowly slid up her waist, lightly touching her ribs.

"But there will always be a 'we,' won't there?" She turned and faced him, his hands pushing her against the counter top. He smirked a, if possible, sweet smirk. One she had never seen from him before. His eyes were tender.

"Yes, there will be, Granger." He lowered his mouth to her own.

"No going back," she whispered before his lips collided with hers once again. His hands skimmed the length of her arms, down to her fingertips and back again. Small goose bumps appeared on her skin. Hermione sighed, allowing Draco to deepen the kiss. His hands moved to her back. pulling her closer, feeling her small hands pull at the back of his neck roughly. She sighed and arched her back, her own body fitting against his own perfectly. After a moment, she pulled away, breathless and gasping for air. Her lips were red from being crushed by his own, her eyes alive. They were both smirking. His hands touched her face slightly.

"I knew you wanted me, Granger."

"Oh, shut your mouth, you cocky bast…" But he kissed her neck, causing her to suck in a breath. Her eyes closed once again. "Not… fair," she somehow blurted out.

"I never said… I was a fair… man," he said between small kisses. He pulled away from her neck and kissed her lips briefly again. Her eyes opened slowly. And for the first time in her life, she saw Draco Malfoy as, dare she say, sexy.

Unknown to them, downstairs in the lobby, a blond haired man, who was thought to be dead, was scowling as he made his way towards the elevator. Several darkly dressed followers were with him, all with a look of wickedness in their eyes.


	5. Chapter Five

**Each Other**

**By breeze**

Hermione Granger knew many things. She was a person of knowledge and reason, someone you could count on to do the right thing. Was kissing Draco Malfoy the right thing? No, in her heart of hearts, she knew nothing could be more wrong. She somehow knew the two of them together would only be difficult. But what else did she have? Her friends could not run with her forever, no one should live that life unless required. Her parents knew nothing about the dangers that followed her. He was the only one, the only person in this world, and she knew in her heart of hearts that she would hold onto him with every bit of her soul.

For love? Maybe. But mostly for the fact that no one wants to be alone. Maybe that's why, in this moment, she is letting him kiss her. Maybe that's why, in this moment, she is wanting him to kiss her. Make her blind, let her forget, wash away all prophecies and fortuneteller's warnings. And it was working.

Perfectly.

Her hands pulled on his neck, his gliding down her shoulders. Their mouths danced, fighting for something more. Both wanted so much, both took from another. And somehow she knew, they had been right. Everyone. She may not love him now, but she could. Somehow in between the bantering, fighting, running, and glaring, she could fall in love with him. Desperately in love. The kind of love that makes girls like her run for the hills. The kind of love that she used to avoid, wanting a career, something more. But as his hand slid down her back, she realized nothing else could make her feel this way. And she only kissed him harder.

And then something happened that was not expected. They were caught off their guard, surprised and surrounded within a second. Their lips parted, and she looked at them, all of them, and one stood out among the others. He looked like the man she had been kissing. His hair blond, his eyes gray, yet Draco stood apart from his father. Draco had never been to Azkaban. Draco had never been in hiding. And Draco had never been evil. His father smirked, and elegantly pulled out his wand, not missing a beat. She only stared, silently wishing she would wake up from this nightmare. But the squeeze Draco had just given her hand let her know she was wide awake.

"Ah, dear son, what a pleasure it is." His voice was so calm. Draco didn't flinched, merely returned the smirk.

"Ah, dear father, why aren't you dead?" he said, without missing a beat.

"Oh, Draco, you should know, we Malfoys are full of surprises." He looked towards Hermione and sneered. "Is this the girl?" He was so casual about it. Draco nodded. "How disappointing. I would have at least thought you chose a mudblood with the family features." Draco opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off.

"Well, he looked and looked, but a blond just wasn't in the cards," she shot back.

"Aw, Miss Granger, still fiery after all these years, I see." He was talking down to her.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, and you're still evil. Some things never change," she retorted.

"What you consider evil is what is right," he growled.

"What you consider right is lunacy." Draco squeezed her hand again as his voice filled her ears. The man looked back towards his son and lightly laughed.

"Well. Draco, you were always one for Harry Potter's sloppy seconds." At this, Draco tried to pull his hand away and attack his father. But she didn't let go. She held onto him and pulled him back. His eyes looked at her and she silently pleaded with him, hoping he would understand. They wanted them separated. Wanted them to let their guard down. After a second, he looked back towards his father and smirked.

"You know, Father, it has been a quick visit, and I hate to run but we have children to go make." He took her other hand. "Something about interfering with Voldemort's twentieth comeback or something." She closed her eyes as he spoke. She heard him call their wands and a loud crack. And they were gone.

She opened her eyes and didn't see him. She looked down and saw her wand tucked roughly into her waistband and pulled it out. She looked around again. Was he thinking the same place? He had to have been; where else could he have gone? And, with a loud crack behind her, she turned to see him appear from thin air. She looked at him and smiled. And suddenly he was hugging her.

In the middle of a deserted street in London where they had first started believing it could all be true. The early morning light shone lightly through the clouds, and a few lights turning on in different apartments. He held her for a long time before she started shaking from the chill in the air. He pulled away and looked around.

"There has got to be a place to stay."

"We have no money, no clothes, Draco." Her teeth lightly chattered as she spoke. He looked at her and smirked.

"The Leaky Cauldron," he said before grabbing her hand and leading her down the street. They walked in silence for a few seconds before she finally spoke.

"This changes everything, you know." He didn't look at her, only kept walking.

"I know." His voice was small.

"I mean, your father, he—he won't rest until we're—separated." She stumbled her words lightly.

"I'm sure he will squeeze in a nap or two." He turned a corner and glanced around.

"Not funny," she said quietly. He stopped looking and turned his attention towards her.

"Granger, we are the ones running the show, not him," he said it so flatly.

"How? We are the ones running for our lives here."

"Didn't you see his face when I mentioned our children? It changed." She rolled her eyes.

"Your father has three facial expressions. Smirk, sneer, and grimace." He shook his head.

"No, he was caught off guard. I don't think he knew how caught up with him we might just be." His eyes traveled down to their hands, their fingers still entwined. "I don't think he knew our relationship would progress so fast." She followed his eye line and nodded, now understanding. "And now that we're ahead…"

"We are going to keep it that way," she finished. He looked down at her and smiled.

"You really are quick, Granger." He looked around again, obviously confused. She grabbed his hand and started pulling him toward their destination.

"I also have a keen sense of direction, Malfoy." He followed her closely, his hand never leaving hers. She walked down one more street before opening a door and entering the Leaky Cauldron. The moment they stepped foot into the building. all eyes were on them. They stopped as everyone stared at them for a long moment. Their faces were well know. Their being together was so unlikely. Hermione's eyes searched the smoky room for a familiar face, and she felt herself jump for joy when they came upon an older, red-headed man. "Mr. Weasley," she practically squealed. The others in the room went back to their conversations as the man smiled and made his was towards the due. She let go of Draco's hand and wrapped her arms around the welcomed face.

"Aw, Hermione, what are you doing here. Last I heard you were in Spain." His voice was so warm. She felt like crying, but instead pulled back and smiled at him.

"We were, but, well, we had a few set backs," she answered.

"We?" he asked, his eyes now on Draco.

"Oh yes. Mr. Weasley, you know Draco Malfoy." She lightly touched Draco's shoulder and nudged him forward. He seemed unsure at first before he held out a hand to shake. Mr. Weasley smiled and pushed it away, opting to hug him instead.

"Thank you for keeping her safe, Mr. Malfoy." He let go and laughed. "If not, Ron and Harry would probably kill you." Draco smirked at her.

"Story of my life sir," he coldly said. The man chuckled before turning his attention towards the brunette again.

"Mr. Weasley, I was wondering, could we borrow some money just for a room and some robes? We got in a situation and had to make a run for it. We will pay you back later today at the Ministry." Hermione hated to ask, but since the Weasley children had grown up and moved on, they were much more comfortable than in the past, especially with the success of Fred and George's joke shop.

"Of course you can. I'll go get you two rooms right now." He turned to talk to the innkeeper.

"One room," she said quickly. He turned to face her again, and her cheeks flushed. "We umm, we have to stay together." The elder man seemed to blush to before nodding and walking away. Hermione turned back towards Draco, who was now smirking. "What?" She glared at him.

"The thought of sharing a room still makes you blush, does it?" She reached out and punched him.

"No, you mumble in your sleep." He rubbed his shoulder and glared back.

"You snore," he shot back. She smiled brightly.

"I know." Her voice was as sweet as could be.


	6. Chapter 6

Each Other  
By breeze

The room was dark. It seemed so natural now, to be in the dark, hiding from them, the world, and, somehow, each other. They had become comfortable around one another. They kissed each other, but still, some things felt sacred, hidden and personal. He was still a man of many secrets, if not complete lies. He watched her in the dim light. Her small frame moved around the room gracefully, slowly making her way from one thing to another, from this to that. She was unaware that he could stare at her for hours on end, completely intrigued. Behind her, the window revealed that they were in the mountains somewhere. The snow was falling steadily outside, blanketing this foreign world in a cold kindness. It filled the room with a white glow that made everything seem so perfect.

Christmas was fast approaching and Dumbledore had arranged for her parents to secretly meet the small brunette. For Draco, the very concept was out of the question. It had been a long time now since he had seen his mother, and his father was trying to kill him. Still, the holidays didn't seem so lonely this year, and he was looking forward to meeting the masterminds behind the slightly crazy women he was going to spend the rest of his life with, according to various sources… including his heart. He was fairly certain this knew feeling had everything to do with the young witch whom he had his eye on at this very moment. 

Her hair was hanging freely, wildly, and he was sure she was at her prettiest this way. Her clothing was simple and slightly wrinkled. Her face was clean of any makeup, but still glowed. She was not graceful or calm. She had a tendency to drop things and bump into corners. She lost her temper and yelled at him at the 'drop of a hat,' as those muggles say. But she was also witty and had an innocence to her that drove him mad. Absolutely and blindly mad. 

"Aha!" Her voice broke his thoughts as she turned and waved a rather thick book in the air. A slow smile spread across her face. She opened it and started reading without even bothering to sit. He ran his hands through his blond hair and sank lower in chair. His long black shirt suddenly felt tight and too warm.

"So then, what am I going to do while you have your nose stuck in that book, Granger?" His voice was slightly lost from his previous thoughts. She looked at him and smirked. "Well?"

"Do you want me to read aloud or something, Malfoy?" Her voice was thick with sarcasm. He smirked at her.

"Yes, please, Granger." She looked at him for a long moment, chewing on her bottom lip—on purpose he swore—before flipping to the first page.

"Fine then." She slightly cleared her voice and began. "Hogwarts, a History: Volume..."

"NO!" He got to his feet and started towards her.

"What, Malfoy?" She closed the book and smiled brightly.

"I threw that thing away ten countries ago." It was the truth. He had caught her reading it at two in the morning and had about enough of house elves and secret rooms. He closed the distance faster than she anticipated, most likely because she was laughing at his expense. She was somehow blind to the fact that they had graduated and didn't need to know anything about that school. He snatched the book and threw it over his shoulder. She watched the book fly across the room and glared at him.

"What do you have against that book, Malfoy?" She crossed her arms, her voice slightly angry.

"All you do is read it, Granger," he shot back. "What do we need to know about Hogwarts?"

"I have a feeling that Draco Malfoy Jr. will be going there," she shot back. He smirked at her.

"Well, finding them out on your own is more fun," he retaliated.

"Well, what else is there to do?" She raised her eyebrows and he thought about it. It was the truth, the days did have a way of dragging on. She pushed past him to retrieve the book but he stopped her, his hand grabbing her own gently.

"Dance with me?" he asked coolly. She looked at him, her eyes confused, then the softened slightly.

"Sure," she said simply. She turned towards him, the book forgotten and, somehow, in the darkened room, another boundary was crossed, another barrier broken. Another side of them revealed to each other. The first few steps were awkward, her guard somehow up, but he bent down and kissed her forehead lightly, and she relaxed into him, the steps becoming easy. They rocked back and forth, and her eyes met his. "So what happens now?"

"We make out," he said dryly. She punched his arm.

"You know what I mean," she snapped. He pulled her closer until her head was resting against his chest.

"We run. It's what we're good at, Granger." He inhaled her scent deeply and closed his eyes, unaware she was doing the same. "After we meet your parents, we run away."

"Away from reality," she said softly.

"Well, it will all be very real. If I find your nose in that book, I will kill you," he added. She snorted. 

"I bet," she murmured, her mind starting to fade in the soft, rocking, snowy world that was surrounding her every thought. "Why don't you just get it over with?" she said jokingly, quietly.  
He hesitated for a moment, and then, drunk with her voice, high off her scent, and taken over by her simple beauty, opened his mouth.

"Because I love you," he said so softly that he thought she didn't hear him, but she did and it shook her like an electric current.

Frozen inside his embrace, she didn't move. She couldn't. The words flowed through her veins like fire; she wanted to scream, wanted to escape, wanted to kill him where he stood with one clean flick of her wand. But she didn't, she merely stood still as the realization that her sworn enemy was everything she suddenly wanted. More than friendship, more than family, more than reason or rhyme. He was it. He noticed she'd stopped moving, and he suddenly hated himself. Almost instinctively, he tightened his grip on her, drawing his head back; he knew this was it.  
Her eyes were lost; the happiness dissolved. They wandered all over his face, trying to read him. She was dizzy. He could hear her short, erratic breath and the way her lips fell a little bit open, as though struggling to say something. The way someone does when they're about to cry. Hope sped through him like a poisoned bullet, and he waited desperately for something, anything. Even for her to slap him would be better than this silence.

She said nothing.

Draco Malfoy was a man of pride and never in his life had it been cut down so short. He took a step back and began to slightly question his sanity.

"I'm sorry," she heard him whisper. "I didn't mean to. It just came out, I swear."

"Don't," she said quickly. "Don't lie." His eyes met hers and she took a step forward.

"I'm a bad person." He looked at her for a long moment.

"I said, don't lie," she whispered, her hands slowly gliding up his chest. Her eyes were wide with that innocence that kept him up late at night. "If I said I loved you... What would you do?" Her voice was so small, so painful in a way. He took his own hands and glided them down her neck and shoulders.

"What do you want?" He bent down and kissed her lips slowly. She leaned into him.

"You," she said. He knew that suggestive tone.

"And why is that, Granger?" he asked knowingly, dragging it out. She pulled back and let her eyes wander before coming back to his. She hesitated for a moment, and then—

"Because I love you." Her voice so soft, he barely heard it. He grabbed her and picked her up, her legs wrapping around him before crushing their mouths together, wanting, needing, and desperate for something that was meant to be. Neither cared that for years they had fought, screamed, and loathed. They forgot their friends and their lives before that day so long ago. And as he moved towards the bed, his shirt removed, her blouse unbuttoned, and both dizzy with madness of it all, destiny and fate became real. The only real thing they had to go on.  
And as the night went on the further, gone they both were.

A/N: If you have seen the Notebook ... then yeah! As for the reason this chapter took so long... I suck! But while I was on Fanfic vacation a lovely girl by the name of Kate was kind enough to Beta and reedit the story. She is great ... all my fans, the shrine building will begin at sunset ... someone bring doughnuts please...! So for all those who crave Grammar laws and such to be enforced ... reread and be sure to give the girl a shout out in the reviews! She edit this chapter with a Hurricane at her door step... I appreciate it all sooooo much!


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